The objective of this clinical study is to evaluate healing of incisions made with the PEAK PlasmaBlade 4.0 compared to scalpel and traditional electrosurgery (Bovie); to monitor and record key post-operative metrics following abdominoplasty with the PEAK PlasmaBlade 4.0 versus current standard of care (SOC); and to evaluate performance metrics of the PEAK PlasmaBlade 4.0 during abdominoplasty.
Abdominoplasty is a cosmetic surgical procedure performed to correct abdominal elastosis with skin and fat redundancy. During the procedure, a scalpel and traditional electrosurgical device are used to cut away this excess skin and fat from the abdomen and the underlying muscles are tightened together with sutures. The PEAK PlasmaBlade™ uses pulsed radiofrequency (RF) energy to enable precision cutting and coagulating at the point of application, without the thermal damage to surrounding tissues that is normally seen with traditional electrosurgery. The PlasmaBlade has received FDA clearance for use in plastic, general, and ear, nose, and throat (ENT) surgery, and has demonstrated significantly reduced serous drainage in tissue reduction surgeries, like abdominoplasty. A total of twenty (20) human subjects were recruited from the local community against standardized inclusion/exclusion criteria. Once enrolled, each patient underwent placement of three sets of full-thickness comparison incisions in their abdominal skin with a standard scalpel, PlasmaBlade, and traditional electrosurgery at six (6) and three (3) weeks prior to abdominoplasty, and on the day of surgery under general anesthesia. Subjects were then randomized to undergo abdominoplasty with the PlasmaBlade or the SOC (scalpel and traditional electrosurgery). Following abdominoplasty, harvested healed incisions were submitted for histological analysis and burst strength testing and additional data were recorded in the 10 day post-operative period.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
20
The PEAK PlasmaBlade will be used for the abdominoplasty procedure.
The scalpel and electrocautery will be used for the abdominoplasty procedure.
El Camino Surgery Center
Mountain View, California, United States
Acute Thermal Injury Depth
Histological samples were created by first incising the area to be resected with all 3 modalities (PEAK PlasmaBlade, electrocautery, and scalpel) at 6 and 3 weeks before the operation. Then, the incised tissue was resected during the abdominoplasty and was assessed by analyzing incisions created in the resected area for histological measures. Acute thermal injury depth was assessed by incising the resected area during the abdominoplasty operation.
Time frame: Immediately postoperative
Inflammatory Cell Count
Histological samples were created by first incising the area to be resected with all 3 modalities (PEAK PlasmaBlade, electrocautery, and scalpel) at 6 and 3 weeks before the operation. Then, the incised tissue was resected during the abdominoplasty and was assessed by analyzing incisions created in the resected area for histological measures.
Time frame: 0, 3, and 6 weeks
Total Drainage Output
Time frame: 0 to 10 days postoperatively
Change in Hemoglobin
The outcome measure is reported as change in hemoglobin, not the hemoglobin value itself.
Time frame: Intraoperative
Narcotic Consumption
Narcotic medications were coded to Fentanyl microgram equivalent units per kilogram.
Time frame: Intraoperative and postoperative (0 to 10 days)
Postoperative Pain Levels
Wong-Baker FACES Visual Analog Scale, 0 (no hurt) to 10 (hurts worst). The results represent the mean of each subject's mean pain scores over 10 days.
Time frame: Postoperative (0 to 10 days)
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Activity Level
Sum of activity over 10 days postoperatively using a 0 (0% of normal) to 100 (100% of normal) visual analog scale. Subjects circled a number representing their activity level by tens (e.g., 10% of normal, 20% of normal). Subjects completed the scale daily through day 10. The results represent the mean cumulative value per patient.
Time frame: Postoperative (0 to 10 days)
Diet Volume
Sum of diet volume (i.e., how much food the subject ate) over 10 days postoperatively using a 0 (0% of normal) to 100 (100% of normal) visual analog scale. Subjects circled a number representing their diet volume by tens (e.g., 10% of normal, 20% of normal). Subjects completed the scale daily through day 10. The results represent the mean cumulative value per patient.
Time frame: Postoperative (0 to 10 days)